Senior Program & Strategy Manager, Consumer Eyecare

Job Title Senior Program & Strategy Manager, Consumer Eyecare Location Birmingham, UK Division Consumer Markets Reports to Head of Global Business & Operations, Consumer Eyecare Contract Permanent, Full-time (Hybrid)

The Senior Program & Strategy Manager, Consumer Eyecare:

owns end-to-end program governance and the integrated timeline and critical path to deliver Consumer Eyecare launch readiness across regions (Global/US/China) and workstreams, ensuring disciplined execution on the critical path enables timely decision-making through stage-gate readiness, clear escalation, and reporting aligns internal functions and external partners to deliver on time, within budget, and in full compliance with regulatory and quality requirements

Responsibilities

Own the integrated timeline: Build and maintain the timeline and critical path; ensure consistency/quality of workstream plans; manage dependencies and the critical path Run program governance end-to-end: SteerCos, weekly/bi-weekly cadences, workstream reviews, risk reviews; standardized agendas, pre-reads, minutes, action tracking, and follow-ups Drive cross-functional and cross-regional alignment: Align functions and teams, proactively resolve blockers, accelerate decisions Institutionalize RAID management and mitigation tracking: ensure risks/issues are surfaced early, owned, and actively closed Drive stage-gate readiness: Orchestrate gate deliverables, coordinate cross-functional inputs, and ensure timely delivery & decisions Manage external partners and timelines (e.g., contract manufacturers): Together with Procurement, manage and track delivery, cost, and timing of external partners Support financial steering: Track cost center spends vs. plan, support forecasting, and quantify execution impacts (delay cost, scope changes) Lead quarterly OKR planning and review cycles across functions and regions: Ensure measurable outcomes, accountability, and transparent progress reporting Institutionalize ways of working: Templates, standards, routines, playbooks, and lessons learned to scale the Consumer Eyecare PMO

Required Knowledge & Experience

Proven experience in program/project management experience in complex, cross-functional environments; Consumer Healthcare/OTC/Pharma strongly preferred (MedTech acceptable) Proven track record delivering multi-country product launches and/or large-scale programs with measurable outcomes (time, cost, quality) Strong governance and execution experience: integrated planning, RAID discipline, action management, escalation judgment, and executive-ready reporting Experience with stage-gate governance and driving gate readiness, decision materials, and go/no-go recommendations Ability to drive accountability; excellent stakeholder management across functions, regions, and seniority levels Strong dependency management and structured problem-solving; comfortable translating ambiguity into executable plans External vendor/partner management experience (multi-party delivery, SOW governance, performance tracking) Advanced proficiency with project management and reporting tools (e.g., Smartsheet/MS Project), plus advanced skills in MS PowerPoint/Excel High-quality written and verbal communication; able to synthesize complex inputs into clear management narratives Comfortable operating across time zones and cultures; high reliability, ownership mindset, and resilience under pressure

Diversity is a part of ZEISS. We look forward to receiving your application regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, philosophy of life, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.